Soil and environment sensor and method of use

ABSTRACT

The present invention is a sensor device comprising: a housing; a processing unit assembly disposed within the housing, wherein the processing unit comprising a high frequency oscillator, a first voltage meter, a low frequency oscillator, a second voltage meter; a probe having a predetermined shape and profile attached to the processing unit and extending from the housing a predetermined distance; and a first sensing unit integrated into the probe and in electrical communication with the high frequency oscillator and the first voltage meter; a second sensing unit integrated into the probe relative to the first sensing unit and in electrical communication with the low frequency oscillator and the second voltage meter.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of priority under 35 USC 120 of U.S.application No. 62/977,197 filed Feb. 15, 2020. The disclosure of theprior applications is considered part of (and is incorporated byreference in) the disclosure of this application.

BACKGROUND

This disclosure relates generally to a sensor, and particularly to asensor and a method of operation of the sensor for monitoring soilconditions.

The monitoring of the moisture of soil for the purpose of optimizing thegrowth of crops has become increasingly important today, particularly inthe environment of large, corporate farming operations. There are twocommon practices associated with the installation of soil moistureprobes in the soil. The most prevalent method involves the installationof a soil monitoring probe in the ground once the plant emerges afterplanting (actually a series of probes to cover an entire planted field).Each probe is then connected to a telemetry system that provides powerand receives the measured data from the probe. The telemetry willregularly upload the received data to a central database using cellularor other wireless technology.

In conventional control system, the primary means for halting anautomatic watering cycle when certain environmental event occurs is byan operator manually suspending the cycle at the irrigation controller.In most situations this proves to be an ineffective means of conservingresources due to the inconsistent and inefficient methods followed bythe operator. In fact, quite often the operator ignores the need tosuspend the watering cycle altogether, and in some cases neglects toresume the watering cycle when required, leading to both over-wateredand under-watered landscaping.

It is because of this unreliable and inconvenient manual method thatenvironmental sensors were developed that allow for an automaticinterruption of the controller due to an environmental condition. One ofthe major drawbacks of the conventional environmental sensors is theextensive installation time and difficult methods required for a properinstallation.

A less common practice is to install the probe(s) in the soil and thentrench the connecting cable to the perimeter of the field (typicallyabout 100 meters away). This will allow the probe to reside in the fieldcontinuously for several years, providing data to the grower over theentire year. There are several drawbacks with the trenching method.First, it is a cumbersome and expensive exercise to trench the cable (toeach probe). Second, there are several cases where normal fieldoperations will result in one or more of the cables being severed,thereby breaking the connection to the probe.

What is needed is a system and method that permits the probe to residecontinuously in the field without the need for expensive trenching, andwithout the risk of damage to the equipment due to normal fieldoperations. It is believed that a wireless probe transmission systemthat is buried in close proximity to each probe, is the solution to thisproblem.

The operator thus has the task of monitoring and controlling a varietyof system parameters to achieve the best conditions for the specificplants in the installation. This can be time consuming. A failure toproperly control the parameters may result in plant harm and financialloss. Additionally, if a component failure occurs while the operator isnot on site, it may be detected too late to prevent harm. Componentfailures such as leaks, failed pumps, faulty temperature control devicesor faulty lamps can occur at any time.

Often, it is financially advantageous to ensure the plants are growingat the fastest rate possible using the least number of resources. Thisoften requires detailed analysis of present and historical data, lookingfor trends between nutrient and environmental conditions and plantresponse. This requires keeping accurate measurements of measuredconditions and a method of recording plant growth and behavior,typically over the course of one or more growing seasons. Conventionallythis is done by keeping records by hand, and requires additional timeand effort, with the possibility of mistakes.

A soil moisture sensor is usually installed in the ground by boring of aprecisely sized hole, placing the sensor at the appropriate depth tomeasure the soil properties in the root zone, placing a slurry of waterand soil in the hole to assure that the sensor has good contact with thesoil and try to restore the soil in the hole to its previous conditionas much as possible so that the sensor provides readings that correctlyreflect the state of the soil. If the soil is not restored properly,water and fertilizer can drain down along the hole to the sensor andcorrupt the sensor readings.

It is desired for a soil sensor that is easy to install, collectsaccurate data, and provides wireless transmission of the data to centrallocation.

SUMMARY

In a first embodiment the present invention is a sensor devicecomprising: a housing; a processing unit assembly disposed within thehousing; a probe connected to the processing unit and substantiallyexposed; at least one sensing structure integrated into the probe and inelectrical communication with the processing unit, wherein the at leastone sensing structure provide information related to the moisture andsalinity of soil, and the information is calculated by the processingunit based on data collected from the at least one sensing structures;and a signal generator in electrical communication with the processingunit and the at least one sensing structure.

In a second embodiment the present invention is a sensor devicecomprising: a housing; a processing unit assembly disposed within thehousing, wherein the processing unit comprising a high frequencyoscillator, a first voltage meter, a low frequency oscillator, a secondvoltage meter; a probe having a predetermined shape and profile attachedto the processing unit and extending from the housing a predetermineddistance; and a first sensing unit integrated into the probe and inelectrical communication with the high frequency oscillator and thefirst voltage meter; a second sensing unit integrated into the proberelative to the first sensing unit and in electrical communication withthe low frequency oscillator and the second voltage meter.

In a third embodiment the present invention is a sensor devicecomprising: a housing; a control module contained within the housing; aprobe extending from the housing; and first sensing units integratedinto the probe and in electrical communication with the control module ;and a second sensing unit integrated into the probe and in electricalcommunication with the control module; wherein the control module isable to measure the impedance of the first and second sensing units tocalculate a moisture and salinity value.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numbers representcorresponding parts throughout:

FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of a soil sensor front side, accordingto an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 depicts a perspective view of the soil sensor rear side,according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 depicts a front view of a probe and circuit board, according toan embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3B depicts a front view of a probe and circuit board, according toan embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 depicts an exploded view of the soil sensor, according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 depicts an exploded view of the soil sensor, according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 depicts a computing environment, according to an embodiment ofthe present invention.

FIG. 7 depicts the soil sensor computing elements, according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7B depicts the soil sensor computing elements, according to anembodiment of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The present invention provides a device, a system, and a method ofoperation for monitoring soil properties and conditions to assist thosewho manage and maintain the crops accurate and current data to assistthem in the watering and fertilization of the soil based on the specificplant or crops needs.

Specific embodiments of the invention will now be described withreference to the accompanying drawings. This invention may, however, beembodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limitedto the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments areprovided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and willfully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Theterminology used in the detailed description of the embodimentsillustrated in the accompanying drawings is not intended to be limitingof the invention. In the drawings, like numbers refer to like elements.

As will be apparent to those of skill in the art upon reading thisdisclosure, each of the individual embodiments described and illustratedherein has discrete components and features which may be readilyseparated from or combined with the features of any of the other severalembodiments without departing from the scope or spirit of the presentinvention. It is to be understood that this invention is not limited toparticular embodiments described, as such may, of course, vary. It isalso to be understood that the terminology used herein is for thepurpose of describing particular embodiments only, and is not intendedto be limiting, since the scope of the present invention will be limitedonly by the appended claims.

Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used hereinhave the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art to which this invention belongs. Although any methods andmaterials similar or equivalent to those described herein can also beused in the practice or testing of the present invention, the preferredmethods and materials are now described.

All publications and patents cited in this specification are hereinincorporated by reference as if each individual publication or patentwere specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated byreference and are incorporated herein by reference to disclose anddescribe the methods and/or materials in connection with which thepublications are cited. The citation of any publication is for itsdisclosure prior to the filing date and should not be construed as anadmission that the present invention is not entitled to antedate suchpublication by virtue of prior invention. Further, the dates ofpublication provided may be different from the actual publication dateswhich may need to be independently confirmed.

It must be noted that as used herein and in the appended claims, thesingular forms “a”, “an”, and “the” include plural referents unless thecontext clearly dictates otherwise. It is further noted that the claimsmay be drafted to exclude any optional element. As such, this statementis intended to serve as antecedent basis for use of such exclusiveterminology as “solely,” “only” and the like in connection with therecitation of claim elements or use of a “negative” limitation.

FIGS. 1-5 depicts various views of a soil sensor 100, according to anembodiment of the present invention. The soil sensor is comprised of ahousing 200, a circuit board 300, and a probe 400, and a cover 500. Thehousing 200 encapsulates the circuit board 300 and a portion of theprobe 400. The probe 400 is in physical and electrical communicationwith the circuit board 300. In the depicted embodiments, the circuitboard 300 and the probe 400 are a unitary component. In additionalembodiments, the probe 400 may be detachable or can be disconnected fromthe circuit board 300. The cover 500 is a rubber or protective coverdesigned to protect the housing 200 and the internals from impact.

The housing 200 is comprised of a firm shell which is fitted around thecircuit board 300 to form a substantially watertight seal around thecircuit board 300. The housing 200 in the depicted embodiment iscomprised of a back plate 201, a front plate 202 and a lower plate 203and a battery cover 204. In the depicted embodiment, a battery 205 (orbatteries) are stored within the housing 200 and are used to power thedevice and are replaceable. In the present embodiment a 9 Volt batteryis used. In some embodiments, a solar panel or device capable ofcollecting renewable energy (e.g., solar, wind, etc.) may beincorporated into the housing 200 and a rechargeable battery (lithiumcell batter) may be used in replace of the replaceable batteries. Thefront plate 202 and the back plate 201 are secured together throughfasteners inserted through openings 207A and secured into apertures207B. The circuit board 300 is secured in place with fasteners insertedthrough apertures 308 and secured into apertures 208 or 309 depending onwhich plate the circuit is secured to. An outer rubber, silicone, or thelike cover 205 is secured around the housing 200 for additionalprotection as shown in the depicted embodiments. Lower plate 203 isfitted between the front and back plates through grooves 212 and 213.The lower plate 203 has a slot 206 which is sized to fit the probe 400.The lower plate 203 creates a substantially watertight seal around thefront plate 202, the back plate 201, and the probe 400.

FIG. 3 depicts a front view of the probe 400 and a portion of thecircuit board 300, according to an embodiment of the present invention.The probe 400 is designed house the capacitive sensing nodes 401 and 402which are used to collect voltage readings, which are then used tocalculate various properties from the soil, such as moisture, fertilizerconcentration, and the salt concentration or salinity of the soil. Inthe present embodiment, the probe 400 has a stake like design and issubstantially flat, and there is a single probe 400. In additionalembodiments, more than one probe 400 may be present. The probe 400, inthe present embodiment is similar in structure to a manufactured circuitboard where a series of layers of resin are formed around a coppersubstrate. In the present embodiment, the probe 400 is comprised of atop solder mask layer made from epoxy, a top foil layer made fromcopper, a prepreg top layer made from FR4 material, an inner top layerof copper, a core of FR4, an inner lower layer of copper, a Prepregbottom layer of FR4, a bottom copper layer, and a bottom solder mask ofepoxy. an exterior top layer, an upper inner layer, a lower inner layer,and exterior bottom layer. The thickness and the shape of the probe 400are based on the capacitive sensing nodes design. This is to say thatother shapes can be used provided the capacitive sensing nodes (401 and402) are able to accurately collect the data needs. The material, whichis used to encase the capacitive sensing nodes 401 and 402, is amaterial that will provide little to no interference with the capacitivesensing nodes 401 and 402 ability to collect the data from the soil.

In one embodiment, the probe 400 and the circuit board 300 are a unitarycomponent. As shown the probe 400 has two capacitive sensing nodes 401which run along the edge of the probe 400 and a set of capacitivesensing nodes 402 are positioned towards a center line of the probe 400.The capacitive sensing nodes 402 are shaped to have substantially matingedges that are spaced a predetermined distance apart to keep the twocapacitive sensing nodes 402 from coming in contact with one another. Inthe present embodiment, the capacitive sensing nodes 402 have six“teeth” each and have a comb like design. The thickness of the teeth,the length of the teeth, and the gap between the teeth and between thecapacitive sensing nodes 401 and 402 are predetermined and based on theintended operation of the device. In additional embodiments, the numberof teeth may be modified or the profile of the capacitive sensing nodes402 may be altered. If the number of teeth is adjusted or the surfacearea of the capacitive sensing nodes 402 is modified the accuracy of thedata may be affected, and thus the capacitive sensing nodes 402. Thenumber of the capacitive sensing nodes 401 and 402, the positioning ofthe capacitive sensing nodes 401 and 402, and the size of the capacitivesensing nodes 401 and 402 is all adjustable based on the probe 400design and the soil type.

The capacitive sensing nodes 401 and the capacitive sensing nodes 402use specific frequencies to measure the moisture and salinity of thesoil. Through the use of frequency oscillators, the capacitive sensingnodes 401 are able to measure the moisture of the soil and thecapacitive sensing nodes 402 are able to measure the salinity of thesoil. The soil moisture circuit includes a high frequency oscillator, avoltage meter, and a capacitor. The soil salinity circuit includes a lowfrequency oscillator, a voltage meter, and a resistor of a known value.The capacitive sensing nodes 401 operate at a frequency between 7 Mhzand 9 Mhz and the capacitive sensing nodes 402 operate at a frequencybetween 400 Khz and 600 Khz. The frequency of the capacitive sensingnode 401 and the capacitive sensing node 402 is based on the design ofthe probe 400 and the physical features of the capacitive sensing nodes401 and 402. the surface area, thickness of the capacitive sensing nodes401 and 402, and the frequency of the capacitive sensing nodes 401 and402. Given the wide variety of soils, the capacitive sensing node 401and the capacitive sensing node 402 may be sized based on a desired soiltype, or a desired reading of the moisture and salinity of the soil.

As shown in FIG. 3B is an alternative design of the probe 400B, whereone pair of capacitive sensing nodes 404 are present. In thisembodiment, a signal generator is integrated into the system to allowfor varying frequencies, so that a single capacitive sensing node 404(or a pair as shown) can be used to collect data related to a variety ofaspects of the soil (e.g., moisture, salinity, pH, etc.). As shown inFIG. 7B, a signal generator 25 and an transimpedance amplifier 24 areintegrated into a system with a single capacitive sensing node connector11B. The signal generator 25 can be integrated into the system toprovide the ability to adjust the frequency of each capacitive sensingnode, and an transimpedance amplifier 24 to converts the current of thecapacitive sensing node(s) to a voltage measurement. With the ability toadjust the frequency of each capacitive sensing node, in someembodiments, a single capacitive sensing node is used. In theseembodiments, the device performs the first test for moisture, salinityor other measurable value, at the desired frequency, and calculates avalue for the specified measurable value. The signal generator 25 wouldthen adjust the frequency for the second test for the other measurablevalue, and from the second set of collected data calculates the value.In these embodiments, where the probe 400 has only one type ofcapacitive sensing node, the capacitive sensing node is sized and shapedto provide the most accurate measurement of each desired value. In theseembodiments, the signal generator 25 is capable of a wide frequencysweep from 5 kHz to 25 MHz at predetermined intervals. Through thecollection of the data from the capacitive sensing nodes, the processingunit or an external computing device is able to calculate a variety ofmeasurements from the soil, such as, but not limited to, salinity,moisture, PH, nitrogen, etc.

The measurement process is as follows. The oscillators are activated.Voltage measurements are taken of the output voltages of the oscillatorsprior to passing through the capacitive sensing nodes 401 and 402.Voltage measurements are taken of the electrical signal after passingthrough the capacitive sensing nodes 401 and 402 and a transimpedanceamplifier. The activation of the oscillators and the respective voltagemeters may happen in a predetermined order or sequence. The two voltagemeasurements are then used to calculate a voltage again across thecapacitive sensing nodes 401 and 402 to calculate the moisture andsalinity, respectively. The impedance of the measurement circuit isdetermined using these voltage gain values. Determining the capacitanceof the capacitive sensing nodes 401 and 402 by injecting an AC voltagesignal into the capacitive sensing nodes 401 and 402. The transimpedanceamplifier is a component on the PCB that converts the current that flowsthrough the capacitive sensing nodes 401 and 402 into a voltage. In someinstances, this is done because the control unit is unable to directlymeasure current, so the transimpedance amplifier to output a voltagethat is related to the current that is passing through the capacitivesensing nodes 401 and 402. The amplitude of this output voltageincreases as the capacitance of the capacitive sensing nodes 401 and 402increases. Thus, measuring the complex impedance of the measurementcircuit which is a function of the capacitance, inductance, andfrequency of the system. The inductance and frequency are controlled,the changes that are observed are primarily due to capacitance changesof the capacitive sensing nodes 401 and 402 due to moisture or salts.

FIG. 6 depicts a block diagram of a computing environment 600 inaccordance with one embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 1 providesan illustration of one embodiment and does not imply any limitationsregarding the environment in which different embodiments maybeimplemented. In the depicted embodiment, computing environment 600includes network 602, soil sensor 100, computing device 604, and server608. Computing environment 100 may include additional servers,computers, or other devices not shown.

Network 602 may be a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN)such as the Internet, any combination thereof, or any combination ofconnections and protocols that can support communications betweencomputing device 604, soil sensor 100, and server 608 in accordance withembodiments of the invention. Network 602 may include wired, wireless,or fiber optic connections.

Soil sensor 100 is as described above and provides for the collection ofdata from the soil and is able to wireless transmit the data to acomputing device 604 or server 608. The soil sensor 100 measures soilmoisture, salinity, temperature, humidity, and sun light values of aregion of soil at its ground location and periodically transmits thesevalues to the computing device 604. This data may be set to providewarnings or signals when the data sent is outside a set of predeterminedvalues to alert a person to the changes in the soil or environment.

Computing device 604 may be a management server, a web server, or anyother electronic device or computing system capable of processingprogram instructions and receiving and sending data. In someembodiments, computing device 604 may be a laptop computer, tabletcomputer, netbook computer, personal computer (PC), a desktop computer,or any programmable electronic device capable of communicating with soilsensor 100 and server 608 via network 602. In other embodiments,computing device 604 may represent a server computing system utilizingmultiple computers as a server system, such as in a cloud computingenvironment. In another embodiment, computing device 604 represents acomputing system utilizing clustered computers and components to act asa single pool of seamless resources.

Server 608 may be a management server, a web server, or any otherelectronic device or computing system capable of processing programinstructions and receiving and sending data. In other embodiments server608 may be a laptop computer, tablet computer, netbook computer,personal computer (PC), a desktop computer, or any programmableelectronic device capable of communicating via network 602. In oneembodiment, server 608 may be a server computing system utilizingmultiple computers as a server system, such as in a cloud computingenvironment. In one embodiment, server 608 represents a computing systemutilizing clustered computers and components to act as a single pool ofseamless resources. In the depicted embodiment database 606 is locatedon server 608.

Database 606 may be a repository that may be written to and/or read bycomputing device 604 or soil sensor 100. Information gathered from thesoil sensor 100 may be stored to database 606. In one embodiment,database 606 is a database management system (DBMS) used to allow thedefinition, creation, querying, update, and administration of adatabase(s).

Once the computing device 604 and the soil sensor 100 have been paired,the user can install the soil sensor 100 into the turf. To assist theuser in finding an installation location with desirable wireless signalstrength between the soil sensor 100 and computing device, the twodevices can enter a wireless placement mode in which the button 209changes colors to indicate when it is within range and outside of therange of the computing device. In the present embodiment, the button 209is in communication with a metal spring with a capacitive touch feature.The processing unit performs a button scan every 100 ms to see if thecapacitance of the node has increased due to the presence of a user'sfinger. Due to the button 209 being a capacitive touch button instead ofa mechanical switch it does not require moving parts.

The soil sensor 100 circuit board 300 provides for the processing of thedata collected by the various sensors and the capacitive sensing nodes401 and 402 and either internally processing the data or sending thedata via the wireless network. As shown in FIG. 7, the schematics of thecircuit board 300 provide the necessary components to collect the datafrom the capacitive sensing nodes 401 and 402 and to process the data.Soil Sensor 100 as a computing node 10 is shown in the form of ageneral-purpose computing device. The components of the soil sensor 10may include, but are not limited to, one or more processors orprocessing units 16, a system memory 28, an air sensing unit 15, a lightsensing unit 17, a soil temperature sensing unit 19, a power source 28,a capacitive sensing node connector 13, and capacitive sensing nodeconnector 11, and a bus 18 that couples various system components. Insome embodiment, the capacitive sensing node connector 11 and 13 may bephysical connectors for the probe 400 to connect the capacitive sensingnodes 401 and 402 to the processing unit 16. In other embodiments, thecapacitive sensing node connectors 11 and 13 may be integrated into thecircuit board 300 probe 400 unitary component as wires which connect thecapacitive sensing nodes 401 and 402 to the processing unit 16. Theprocessing unit 16 is capable of both receiving data as well asoperating the commands to effectively measure the various properties ofthe soil.

Bus 18 represents one or more of any of several types of bus structures,including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, anaccelerated graphics port, and a processor or local bus using any of avariety of bus architectures. By way of example, and not limitation,such architectures include Industry Standard Architecture (ISA) bus,Micro Channel Architecture (MCA) bus, Enhanced ISA (EISA) bus, VideoElectronics Standards Association (VESA) local bus, and PeripheralComponent Interconnects (PCI) bus.

System memory 28 can include computer system readable media in the formof volatile memory, such as random-access memory (RAM) 30 and/or cachememory 32. computing device 12 may further include otherremovable/non-removable, volatile/non-volatile computer system storagemedia. By way of example only, storage system 34 can be provided forreading from and writing to a nonremovable, non-volatile magnetic media(not shown and typically called a “hard drive”). Although not shown, amagnetic disk drive for reading from and writing to a removable,non-volatile magnetic disk (e.g., a “floppy disk”), and an optical diskdrive for reading from or writing to a removable, non-volatile opticaldisk such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or other optical media can be provided.In such instances, each can be connected to bus 18 by one or more datamedia interfaces. As will be further depicted and described below,memory 28 may include at least one program product having a set (e.g.,at least one) of program modules that are configured to carry out thefunctions of embodiments of the invention.

Program/utility 40, having a set (at least one) of program modules 42,may be stored in memory 28 by way of example, and not limitation, aswell as an operating system, one or more application programs, otherprogram modules, and program data. Each of the operating system, one ormore application programs, other program modules, and program data orsome combination thereof, may include an implementation of a networkingenvironment. Program modules 42 generally carry out the functions and/ormethodologies of embodiments of the invention as described herein.

The air sensing unit 15 collects the air temperature and humidity sensorto monitor ambient air conditions. There are two small apertures in theback plate 201 of the housing 200 that allow for ventilation. There is apiece of foam around the sensor and a cutout slot in the circuit board300 to provide thermal isolation from the rest of the product interior.

The light sensing unit 17 is a phototransistor to roughly monitor lightconditions. This is only used to determine light schedules and whetherthe lights are on or off. The phototransistor is concentric with thebutton 209 because it is currently the point of the housing with themost light coming through. Other embodiments could include improvedlight monitoring for PAR (photosynthetically active radiation)measurements.

The soil temperature sensing unit 19 measures the temperature of thesoil. This is contained within the housing, but as close to the soil aspossible. The soil temperature is reported to the user, but its purposeis also to better compensate the soil moisture and EC measurements.Other embodiments could include temperature monitoring on the blade ofthe sensor for more accurate readings.

Soil Sensor 100 may also communicate with one or more external devices14 that enable a user to interact with soil sensor 100; and/or anydevices (e.g., network card, modem, etc.) that enable soil sensor 100 tocommunicate with one or more other computing devices. The high frequencyconnection and the low frequency connection permit the connection of theprobe 400 to the circuit board 300, wherein the connections electricallyconnect the respective capacitive sensing nodes 401 and 402 to thecircuit board 300 and physically connect the probe 400 to the circuitboard 300. In some embodiments, the probe 400 is removable and allowsfor the replacement of the probe 400. This provides a benefit ofcreating a variety of probes 400 with different capacitive sensing nodedesigns to allow for the collection of various types of data. In thedepicted embodiment, the circuit board 300 and the probe 400 are asingle element, where the capacitive sensing nodes 401 and 402 areintegrated into the circuitry of the circuit board 300. Suchcommunication can occur via Input/Output (I/O) interfaces 22. Still yet,soil sensor 100 can communicate with one or more networks such as alocal area network (LAN), a general wide area network (WAN), and/or apublic network (e.g., the Internet) via network adapter 20. As depicted,network adapter 20 communicates with the other components of computersystem/server 12 via bus 18. It should be understood that although notshown, other hardware and/or software components could be used inconjunction with computer system/server 12. Examples, include, but arenot limited to microcode, device drivers, redundant processing units,external disk drive arrays, RAID systems, tape drives, and data archivalstorage systems, etc.

While this invention has been described in conjunction with the specificembodiments outlined above, it is evident that many alternatives,modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in theart. Accordingly, the preferred embodiments of the invention, as setforth above, are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Variouschanges may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of thisinvention.

Aspects of the present invention are described herein with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer readable program instructions.

These computer readable program instructions may be provided to aprocessor of a general-purpose computer, special purpose computer, orother programmable data processing apparatus to produce a machine, suchthat the instructions, which execute via the processor of the computeror other programmable data processing apparatus, create means forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks. These computer readable program instructionsmay also be stored in a computer readable storage medium that can directa computer, a programmable data processing apparatus, and/or otherdevices to function in a particular manner, such that the computerreadable storage medium having instructions stored therein comprises anarticle of manufacture including instructions which implement aspects ofthe function/act specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram blockor blocks.

The computer readable program instructions may also be loaded onto acomputer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other deviceto cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer,other programmable apparatus, or other device to produce a computerimplemented process, such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer, other programmable apparatus, or other device implement thefunctions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block orblocks.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods, and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof instructions, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). In some alternativeimplementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of theorder noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in successionmay, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks maysometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon thefunctionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of theblock diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocksin the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implementedby special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specifiedfunctions or acts or carry out combinations of special purpose hardwareand computer instructions.

Present invention: should not be taken as an absolute indication thatthe subject matter described by the term “present invention” is coveredby either the claims as they are filed, or by the claims that mayeventually issue after patent prosecution; while the term “presentinvention” is used to help the reader to get a general feel for whichdisclosures herein that are believed as maybe being new, thisunderstanding, as indicated by use of the term “present invention,” istentative and provisional and subject to change over the course ofpatent prosecution as relevant information is developed and as theclaims are potentially amended.

The foregoing descriptions of various embodiments have been presentedonly for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intendedto be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the formsdisclosed. Accordingly, many modifications and variations of the presentinvention are possible in light of the above teachings will be apparentto practitioners skilled in the art. Additionally, the above disclosureis not intended to limit the present invention. In the specification andclaims the term “comprising” shall be understood to have a broad meaningsimilar to the term “including” and will be understood to imply theinclusion of a stated integer or step or group of integers or steps butnot the exclusion of any other integer or step or group of integers orsteps. This definition also applies to variations on the term“comprising” such as “comprise” and “comprises”.

Although various representative embodiments of this invention have beendescribed above with a certain degree of particularity, those skilled inthe art could make numerous alterations to the disclosed embodimentswithout departing from the spirit or scope of the inventive subjectmatter set forth in the specification and claims. Joinder references(e.g., attached, adhered, joined) are to be construed broadly and mayinclude intermediate members between a connection of elements andrelative movement between elements. As such, joinder references do notnecessarily infer that two elements are directly connected and in fixedrelation to each other. Moreover, network connection references are tobe construed broadly and may include intermediate members or devicesbetween network connections of elements. As such, network connectionreferences do not necessarily infer that two elements are in directcommunication with each other. In some instances, in methodologiesdirectly or indirectly set forth herein, various steps and operationsare described in one possible order of operation, but those skilled inthe art will recognize that steps and operations may be rearranged,replaced, or eliminated without necessarily departing from the spiritand scope of the present invention. It is intended that all mattercontained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawingsshall be interpreted as illustrative only and not limiting. Changes indetail or structure may be made without departing from the spirit of theinvention as defined in the appended claims.

Although the present invention has been described with reference to theembodiments outlined above, various alternatives, modifications,variations, improvements and/or substantial equivalents, whether knownor that are or may be presently foreseen, may become apparent to thosehaving at least ordinary skill in the art. Listing the steps of a methodin a certain order does not constitute any limitation on the order ofthe steps of the method. Accordingly, the embodiments of the inventionset forth above are intended to be illustrative, not limiting. Personsskilled in the art will recognize that changes may be made in form anddetail without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.Therefore, the invention is intended to embrace all known or earlierdeveloped alternatives, modifications, variations, improvements and/orsubstantial equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A sensor device comprising: a housing; aprocessing unit assembly disposed within the housing; a probe connectedto the processing unit and substantially exposed; at least one sensingstructure integrated into the probe and in electrical communication withthe processing unit, wherein the at least one sensing structure provideinformation related to the moisture and salinity of soil, and theinformation is calculated by the processing unit based on data collectedfrom the at least one sensing structures; and a signal generator inelectrical communication with the processing unit and the at least onesensing structure.
 2. The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the at leastone sensing structure further comprising; high frequency sensingstructures integrated along an edge of the probe; and low frequencysensing structures integrated along a center line of the probe ofinterlocking design, wherein a surface area of the low frequency sensingstructures is greater than the high frequency sensing structure.
 3. Thesensor device of claim 1, further comprising; an air sensor containedwith the housing;
 4. The sensor device of claim 1, further comprising; alight sensor, contained within the housing, wherein the housing has anaperture positioned relative to the light sensor.
 5. The sensor deviceof claim 1, further comprising; a temperature sensor, wherein thetemperature sensor is contained within the housing and positioned distalto the probe.
 6. The sensor device of claim 1, further comprising; awireless connection module contained within the housing.
 7. The sensordevice of claim 1, further comprising; a power source contained withinthe housing and connected to the processing unit.
 8. The sensor deviceof claim 2, wherein, the probe has a predetermined shape and profilebased on the high frequency and low frequency sensing structures.
 9. Thesensor device of claim 2, wherein a gap is formed between the lowfrequency sensing structures and the gap is of a predetermined size. 10.The sensor device of claim 1, wherein the processing unit furtherincludes at least one oscillator, wherein the at least on oscillator isin communication with the at least one sensing structure, and the atleast one oscillator is able to generate predetermined frequencymeasurements to the at least one sensing structures.
 11. The sensordevice of claim 2, wherein, sensing structures are disposed within theprobe, wherein the probe is of a predetermined thickness based on thesensing structures.
 12. A sensor device comprising: a housing; aprocessing unit assembly disposed within the housing, wherein theprocessing unit comprising a high frequency oscillator, a first voltagemeter, a low frequency oscillator, a second voltage meter; a probehaving a predetermined shape and profile attached to the processing unitand extending from the housing a predetermined distance; and a firstsensing unit integrated into the probe and in electrical communicationwith the high frequency oscillator and the first voltage meter; a secondsensing unit integrated into the probe relative to the first sensingunit and in electrical communication with the low frequency oscillatorand the second voltage meter.
 13. The sensor device of claim 12, whereinthe processing unit controls the frequencies of the high and lowfrequency oscillators.
 14. The sensor device of claim 12, wherein thefrequencies of the high and low frequency oscillators are set at apredetermined value based on the first sensing unit and the secondsensing unit physical properties.
 15. The sensor device of claim 12,wherein the second sensing unit, comprises, two mating members of apredetermined profile and positioned distal to a centerline of theprobe.
 16. The sensor device of claim 12, wherein the first sensingunit, comprises, two members displaced along an exterior edge of theprobe.
 17. A sensor device comprising: a housing; a control modulecontained within the housing; a probe extending from the housing; andfirst sensing units integrated into the probe and in electricalcommunication with the control module; and a second sensing unitintegrated into the probe and in electrical communication with thecontrol module; wherein the control module is able to measure theimpedance of the first and second sensing units to calculate a moistureand salinity value.
 18. The sensor device of claim 17, wherein thecontrol module comprises; a first oscillator and a first voltage meterand a first capacitive bridge connected to the first sensing unit and asecond oscillator and a second voltage meter, and a second capacitivebridge connected to the second sensing unit, where the oscillators areadjusted based on a set of physical properties related to the first andsecond sensing units.
 19. The sensor device of claim 17, wherein thecontrol module comprises; an air sensing circuit; a temperature sensingcircuit; and a light sensing circuit.
 20. The sensor device of claim 17,wherein the control module measures a voltage gain across the first andsecond capacitive bridge to calculate a voltage gain across each sensingunit.